What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking methenamine and sodium salicylate?
An NSAID can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, even if you don't have any risk factors. Do not use this medicine just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
An NSAID may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using methenamine and sodium salicylate, especially in older adults.
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to methenamine, sodium salicylate, or aspirin.
Ask a doctor before using methenamine and sodium salicylate to treat painful or frequent urination if you've never had these symptoms before.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if this medicine is safe to use if you have ever had:
- heartburn, stomach ulcers or bleeding;
- heart disease, high blood pressure;
- cirrhosis or other liver disease;
- if you are on a low-salt diet; or
- if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.
Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you are pregnant, you should not take this medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Taking an NSAID during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause serious heart or kidney problems in the unborn baby and possible complications with your pregnancy.
Do not give methenamine and sodium salicylate to a child younger than 12 without medical advice. Do not give this medicine to a child or teenager with a fever, flu symptoms, or chickenpox. Salicylates can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.